Fate retold
by DarkPheonix 666
Summary: Upon her 16th birthday, Aya Mikage's life was forever changed. But what if Touya had not been the one to save her that day when she discovered her power? What if another person had changed her life? How would her life and relationships be changed if she had fallen for someone else? The person who was best suited for her all along? Alternate universe, A/U, fluff, feels, Yuhi/Aya
1. Chapter 1

**Ayashi no ceres was one of the first anime series I watched back in my gateway years into anime. All these years later I am still not over how Yuhi got friendzoned in the manga. I always wondered what would have happened in the story for him, Aya and the others if things were different**

**I don't know how often I will update but I will try and be as often as I can, patience is appreciated**

**Please follow, favourite and review**

"_You have come to me today Miss Aya Mikage, to divide the mist of time to predict your future. Calm yourself and within my mystic crystal ball, all will be revealed….. oh my"_

* * *

"That fortune teller is full of it!" Aya yelled in frustration. She had spent all her allowance on that damn future reading. But all she got was a load of depressing misery that made no sense at all. They really were just after money when it came to this sort of thing. She had only wanted to have some fun today, celebrating her last day of being 15 with her friends after school and how she would be spending her 16th. Your birthday only came once a year after all, why not make a big deal?

She wondered how she ever let them talk themselves into this mess only for it to go all wrong. She never expected it to be everything they said it would be, best not to believe in high expectations when it came to fortune tellers. It was a load of smoke and mirrors, preying on the naive to fill their pockets with her hard earned allowance. Now she was simply in a bad mood and fully disappointed by the outcome of what she expected to hear. It was supposed to be fun but it ended up blowing up in her face.

"Aya, just calm down and stop making a big deal about it. Nobody believes this crap anyway" her friend reassured her. It was just about having fun and finding humour in this. She was getting a bit excited over something so silly. You were in control of your own future, nobody could ever predict what life had in store for you. Aya was taking this all a little too seriously. She needed to look at the humour in this, probably just a concocted plan to freak her out and get their money's worth from customers.

"_I'm not making a big deal, I'm completely rational!" _Aya snapped impatiently. Why shouldn't she be upset about spending her allowance on a trickery used to bribe people out of their money? Yet people still found themselves drawn in out of curiosity. She had hoped to learn about her love life, her exams, surprises and other fun stuff, not a lot of depressing and eerie lines that made her skin crawl.

"Sure you are Aya," Aki thought to himself as he sipped his drink. He knew all too well what his sister's temper was like. I mean he was her twin, after all, they had grown up well aware of their siblings worst traits. She was always someone who wore their heart on their sleeve and tended to get carried away about everything. She could never let something go and had to follow through no matter what. But at times she could be painfully indecisive and it caused problems for herself and others.

Her parents were going to be so mad when they learned of what she spent her money on. They gave her enough crap for being less than the perfect daughter at times as it was. If they found out she went to see a fortune teller they would be scolding her for weeks. "I warned you before I didn't want to waste my allowance! They say her predictions are always true, but all I got was a bunch of phoney horror movie garbage" Aya growled. I bet the stuff she spouted had people on their seat, dripping on every word that came out of her mouth.

* * *

"_Your future Miss Aya Mikage, it will be ruled by the star of darkness. I see blood, destruction, sadness and the devastation of all balance in this universe. On the 16__th__ day of your birth, your destiny will overtake you. Whether good or evil wins, all depends on the power of life that resides within you"._

* * *

"Wow, that's depressing as hell" one of her friends replied. She didn't envy her on her future, but she could look at it as a joke. I mean there was no way in hell this sort of thing was true. It was rare people's futures ever really came true at all. But being told that your life was going to become a literal mess, changing many lives aside from her own in the process was not something anyone wanted to hear. It would leave anyone in a bad mood, but maybe it would help her get her shit together.

"Her future is bleak, she'll be sulking all week…" her friend sung mockingly. It took Aya a long time to get over grudges, she had quite a temper on her after all. So why not find the humour in the situation. I mean Aya was less than perfect, sometimes overly confident and clueless, but she had a good heart and knew how to fun. So why not make a couple of jokes to make her feel better?

"SHUT UP!" Aya snapped. She already felt crappy about being screwed over, she didn't need them reminding her of how bad she felt. She had wanted to have fun today before her birthday, now she was just in a really bad mood. She was already aware that her life was less than perfect, her future looming ahead of her, a senior in high school and the fact she would have to be considering college's soon. She already had enough pressures on her shoulders without a crappy reading from a fortune teller.

She thought her answer would be something unusual, quirky and happy, but instead it was one that sounded like she should be watching her back at every corner instead. Like something awful was going to happen to her little brother or parents. That was the last thing she ever wanted to consider happening to the people she loved, let alone herself for that matter. How could they not expect her to be upset with such thoughts lingering on her mind.

However, as per usual she could count on her brother to lighten the mood and make her feel better. "Didn't that psychic also mention a fateful encounter awaiting you, which will be of unexpected aid. I hope it's a guy, then you can finally end your perpetual single life" Aki teased. He knew all too well about his sister's poor dating record. She was by no means a bad girl, or someone who was easy like people believed her to be. But she had too many expectations, her mind seemed to wonder and never truly seemed likes she was there. Which led people to believe she was emotionally unattached.

"I don't see any cute girls on your arm Aki" Aya snapped. He was one to mock her about her lack of a boyfriend when he was never seen with any girlfriend despite how popular he was. So he was one to give her advice on love. When was the last time he had experienced a relationship which didn't last more than a couple of months. They may have been joined at the hip since birth, but he had no right to give her love advice when his own was a mess.

"Just waiting for the right girl sis" Aki replied playfully. He wanted to give himself to the right woman. There was no shame in waiting for the right woman to come along and steal his heart. He then smirked in amusement "I'm too busy keep an eye on my twin sister to worry about relationships" he reminded her. He loved his little sister and wanted her to be happy, so he didn't mind watching over her until he knew she was stable and felt comfortable. I mean, he was her twin, they had a connection most could not understand.

"You know that's bullshit" Aya muttered. She knew about all the girls who confessed to him and left love letters in his shoe locker, a lot of them were really cute. Why didn't he focus on choosing one rather than patronizing her all the time? She sighed heavily and slumped back in her chair and simply wanting to enjoy her time with her friends. She knew she was already going to get into trouble for coming home late by her parents as it was. So why not just enjoy the moment?

* * *

Aya and her friends walked across the bridge as she reflected on her future reading and her upcoming celebration. She was about to turn 16 and she was still confused at where her life was headed and where she currently stood in life, conflicted about her true future. Her parents expected so much of her but she didn't even know what to expect of herself yet. She had no idea of who she was supposed to be or who she was even going to be one day. It was a scary and unpredictable future that loomed before her.

Suddenly. she heard a conflict, a cry of pain and running. Looking up she saw a poor old woman being shoved to the ground as a robber stole her purse. She hated people who took advantage of the weak, showing they had no sense of morality. Before she could even think, she rushed at the guy furiously. Ignoring the worried cries of her best friends and brother, she didn't have time to think. This poor old woman who had all of her belongings stolen from her by a selfish jerk who simply saw profit in her belongings. She lunged at the guy, grabbing him by the waist so he couldn't run away. Struggling to grab the bag out of his hand. Being shoved against the wall as she tried to reach for the bag and stop him from attacking her.

However, in the struggle she found herself losing balance and being pushed over the side of the bridge. Still gripping onto the sling of the handbag, her balance lost as gravity took hold of her as she fell towards the oncoming traffic below. However, luckily for her, a young man had spotted her. Flashes of images appeared in her mind, faces of strangers, blood and a life she didn't remember. A power surging through her body that she didn't recognize.

* * *

A young man carrying two shopping bags was walking through the street, headphones in his ears as he hummed to himself. He knew Suzumi was going to give him shit for being late, but he had to go to specific stores to get what he needed, he couldn't help it if they were out of stock. He loved her as much as you can love your family, he knew that she carried many internal scars from the trauma she had endured, but her temper was often something that became a pain in the ass at times.

He then realized people were crowding around and staring at something, god people were always distracted by the most simple of things. Usually, he would cater towards his curiosity but he had places to be and he had dinner to make. However, as he looked to the side his eyes widened in horror, his body freezing and panic overcoming him. A young girl around his age, from a school he didn't recognise, was falling into the middle of the road. She had fallen off the bridge, oncoming traffic was about to have a collision and loss of innocent life was about to take place.

Without thinking, he dropped the groceries in his hand and bolted into the middle of the road. Dashing past onlookers and rushing towards her, eventually grabbing the young girl in his arms protectively. His body slamming against the concrete ground as he shielded her body. He would never be able to live with himself as he stood by as an observer when he could have done something. He would rather die trying than live with the scars of what could have been instead.

* * *

Aya felt her heart slamming in her chest, her body trembling, her eyes wide with fear and her mind now blank. What had happened, everything had just occurred so quickly, one minute she was on the bridge on her way home and now was safe and sound. She was pressed up against the chest of an unfamiliar man, being protected by any traffic that was about to hit her. She came so close to losing her life, it had happened in the blink of an eye. "Oi. You asshole, you never learn how to drive you oblivious prick!" the guy cursed furiously. He could have killed this girl because he wasn't watching the road? What he saw a girl in danger and never even considers that stopping would be a good idea?

Some people were so inconsiderate, did they even use their brains at all? The guy was probably on his phone and didn't even realize at the last second. Would he even care if he ended up killing her? Her limp body simply laying there cold and lifeless in the street? Because he hadn't been paying attention for a split second? Thank god he had looked up and taken the chance, this girl could have lost her life because nobody else wanted to stop and do something. From what he could see there were no visible wounds on her but what about internal injuries?

Aya didn't know what to say, her head was spinning, she slowly sat up, voices around her sounded like white noise, she felt a little nauseous as the shock. What time was it, where was her brother? How was she still alive and what were all those images? Hell, had she been floating? She lightly gripped onto the guy to keep herself steady, her legs were still a little wobbly as she adapted to what the hell had just happened to her. For a minute she thought she was going to be sick.

The guy turned to her with a concerned look "Hey? Are you ok? You aren't hurt, are you? A fall like that could have killed you?" he asked impatiently, concern evident in his tone. She was lucky she wasn't harmed at all, a fall like that was life-threatening. She looked rather pale but then after falling head onto traffic what could one expect? If she needed medical care he would happily wait with her in case any details were needed from witnesses. He wouldn't leave until she was fully taken care of and felt secure. That is unless she had anyone else who could take care of her.

Aya snapped out of it, her face reddening with embarrassment "N… no I'm ok" she babbled. She didn't know what to say, this was like a scene out of a romance novel. Some random stranger appearing out of nowhere saving her life from danger. He helped her to her feet and walked her to the side of the road. Calmly waiting for her friends and brother appearing and rushing to her side in a panic. Checking her for wounds and scolding her.

"Aya! What in the _hell _were you thinking? You could have been killed!" Aki snapped angrily. God he couldn't remember the last time he had been so scared, Aya had always been rambunctious but this took the cake. It had nearly cost her life. Next time he was going to stop her from getting into any more stupid and potentially risky situations. But at least this would be an interesting situation to talk about in the future to his nephew and nieces one day. About the trouble his sister got into.

Yuhi picked up his bags calmly, he sighed heavily and checked the contents. Some would be ok, unharmed and damaged but some would need to be replaced. He knew Suzumi was going to give him crap for this but the girl had been ok. She had been saved and a tragedy had been averted. He would have to get home to make dinner or Suzumi would scold him, he knew she worried but sometimes she could really be a pain in the ass. But it would be worth it after today. One good act of kindness would make his day.

Aki turned to Yuhi, his face still in panic but relief and gratitude, his panic still evident on his face. "I don't…. if you hadn't been there, my sister would have been…" he panted breathlessly. God, he felt sick at the thought of what could have been. Nobody else had come forward and just stood there, all in a panic and not knowing what to do. He had probably been acting on instinct but thank god he had even made a move at all. His sister could be dead if he hadn't actively chosen to make a move.

Yuhi smiled warmly, he knew all too well what it felt like to lose a family member. Of how scary it was to go through loss, of how much it hurt. He could tell this guy loved his sister and he was happy to have been of help. "It's no problem, just being a good Samaritan" he replied in a kind tone. He then turned to Aya with a playful smile, reaching out to ruffle her head affectionately. Though she was an odd girl she was rather cute "Don't go jumping into any more traffic now" he replied.

Aya blushed, this guy was really cute. He was about 5'10 at least, taller than her. He had black hair that fell in his eyes but was short. Kind of like a boy band, the guy next door kind of hairstyle. He had a handsome but kind face with piercing blue eyes, his figure wasn't bad either. "I… um… thanks" she babbled. God, she was making such an ass of herself right now, she couldn't even make coherent sentences. But what was there to say? Her fortune had come true all right and in the most unexpected way. The guy who had saved her life was indeed charming and handsome to boot. He was wearing a school uniform she had never seen before but must have been local. But at least in a different area of the city.

* * *

Aki couldn't stop smirking, Aya had been a daze the whole way home. She was truly infatuated with this guy, she was acting all spacey, the stereotypical lovestruck state. He had never seen his sister so serious over a guy before, it was rather adorable and amusing. She had experienced many crushes on guys in the past, but this one was different. She had been really taken with this guy. Her lack of focus, her embarrassment and avoidant attitude due to the embarrassment was a clear sign of a crush. "Seems your fateful encounter paid off sis" he teased. But he was happy for her, she was experiencing love for the first time and it was really showing. He hoped that she would meet him again and pursue her developing feelings.

Aya's cheeks darkened, kind of wishing her brother would stop bringing up the subject. But her fortune had been eerily accurate, first, her fated encounter led to her being rescued by a cute stranger, but what about the darkness? What about the tragedy? Maybe she was going to get grounded, or something else that would leave her depressed. Honestly, she was still too spaced to even consider what the rest of her fortune could be. She needed a hot bath and some time to reflect on it in all honesty.

They opened the front door to their house wearily, ready to be scolded by their parents for coming home so late before dinner. Their parents were stern but loving, but sometimes they really could be the biggest combined killjoys in the universe. "You're home at last, thank goodness" their mother replied. They had really pushed it this time, tomorrow was a very serious event and they could not afford to miss it. This event would change the course of their entire lives. Tomorrow was their birthdays and big life-changing event, she only prayed her worst fears would be wrong. She loved her children so much and prayed that the past would not repeat itself.

Aya and Aki were surprised by their mothers worry in her tone, she had always been protective but now she was a little more on edge than usual. But then again she did give them hell if they didn't take their homework seriously. They had mainly expected to get scolded for coming home late, thank god the potential accident had come up or they would never be able to leave their rooms for a month. But then again as twins they had their personal secrets they had to keep from the parents.

"Aya, Aki. Tomorrow we are headed to the main house to see your grandfather. He has something very special planned for you two, so I need you to prepare to visit for your celebration" their father stated abruptly. This happened every 16 years, he didn't like it but they had to be sure. She could not be allowed to be released. He prayed to kami that the curse had skipped a generation and she could continue to live a happy and peaceful life, but something told him it was too good to be true.

Aya expression became perplexed and anger flashed through her eyes "What the hell? Seriously? Me, Aki and the others were going to celebrate together?!" she snapped furiously. She had been planning this for weeks, what was so bad about wanting to spend it with her friends? They barely ever saw their grandpa unless it was because of family events, so why now of all times on such a special day to them did he suddenly want to see them?

Aya's mother frowned, she could see how upset her daughter was. Part of her understood, your birthday only came once a year after all. But it was on the sixteenth year of birth of the women in their family, they had to make sure the girls never carried her power. She was lucky enough to not carry the genes, as were many others, but as for Aya, they did not know yet. They had to make sure or their family would pay for this dearly. All she needed was her daughter to cooperate and follow with family traditions.

"Aya. I will not take no for an answer, you will listen to our wishes and obey your grandfather's tradition. _End of story" _he replied sharply. She was too young to understand what she was going to experience, but he had no other choice. As much as it hurt to admit. Becoming a father had been one of the happiest experiences of his life, but at least he would still have a child after all this. Many others during this ritual had ended up childless after going through this ritual, he had to count his small blessings.

Aya felt a shiver run down her spine, even when they were at their angriest her parents had never been this cold with them before. She was actually a little scared of her parents at that moment, the cold harshness in their tone that caused a bad feeling in her gut. Aki also looked a little disappointed, due to the surprise he had in mind for Aya. However, he knew better than to argue with their parents when they were serious. He could sense something was wrong so it was just best to stop arguing altogether.

* * *

Aya sat curled up on her bed clutching her pillow, her face dark red and squishing the pillow like a lifeline. She couldn't get that guy out of her head, those beautiful blue eyes that reminded her of the sky. He carried chopsticks on him and he carried the scent of cooking. She wondered if he worked in a restaurant or something, maybe she could visit sometime and hopefully be reunited with him. _"I wonder if I'll ever see him again" _she considered. It wasn't every day you had a near death experience and met a handsome saviour on the same day.

"_You will face a fateful encounter, which will come in the form of unpredicted aid"_

Aya collapsed on her bed still clutching her pillow, it was too predictable to be true. She never believed in this sort of delusional crap. Fate, destiny, fortunes, they were all nonsense to her. Such things never existed but people believed in them to avoid their boring everyday lives. "But what the hell was that when I fell? All those images, the blood, the death? Those faces? It was like something like out of a nightmare and above all that I was…" she trailed off. It was like her body had not been her own. She felt light as a feather like she weighed nothing at all. A power suddenly growing inside of her that she had never felt before.

"You were floating" Aki replied creepily, looming over her bed unexpectedly. A menacing look on his face like out of a horror movie. Hoping to get payback on her for scaring him today. But it would also distract her from dwelling on it too much, not many people survived such ordeals unscathed, she ought to be grateful for small blessings in that sense. He still had his sister when he could have lost her all too easily.

Aya panicked, hitting him in the face hard with the pillow in defence. Grabbing her weights to attack, not expecting someone to sneak up on her like. She had always been one to act quickly when threatened. However, upon seeing it was her brother she panicked. "Gomen Aki, you know better than to sneak up on me like that" she apologized awkwardly. She hoped he wasn't hurt in some way, I mean though they were stuffed with feathers, a hard hit could actually do some damage.

"What the hell is with you? Most girls after having a near death experience would be all closed off and quiet?" he argued in annoyance. But part of him was glad that his sister was acting like her normal self. It showed that despite the shock she had experienced she was comforted and starting to recover from it in her own way. She had always been the kind of girl to bounce back fast no matter what was thrown her way.

Aya smiled nervously, she didn't really know how to explain what had happened to her. "I kind of lost my footing, maybe the wind slowed my fall. I mean, it's not every day a girl gets so lucky that a cute stranger saves your life" she joked. But yes, she knew how lucky she was to be alive. Aki looked at his sister in concern, he knew she was hiding something. She tended to close herself off at times when it came to more personal matters. She was always the kind of girl who wore her heart on her sleeve.

"I know it sounds depressing, but today in some really scary way I felt alive. I mean have you ever considered what we do? Every day, every week, every month? Get up early, go to school, see our friends, come home, eat, sleep and repeat. And then there are thousands of kids doing the same thing" she explained calmly. She felt like her life was all planned out for her, like playing a level of a game over and over until she finally earned enough points for a prize. She was bored and desired some kind of freedom or change to step things up a little.

Aki looked at her sympathetically, Aya always had been a wild child and the more rebellious one. She never had cold feet and was always restless. She sought adventure, fun and loved a challenge. But that meant she could never appreciate the small things. Hopefully their birthday tomorrow would cheer her up a little, she was the extrovert type and always had to have fun. She always got so restless and hated boredom, seeing it was her worst enemy. Never liking to be left out of the loop of potential fun.

"I feel like a forgotten toy in a box, That I'm easily forgotten and I never leave an imprint on anyone I meet. I don't know what I have to do to make myself stand out, or if I even should. I can't even imagine how I'll be as an adult, can you Aki?" she asked impatiently. She felt like nobody cared about her as a person, that she was a face easily forgotten in a crowd by even a passing stranger. That she was simply a passing thought on even her teachers at school, pretty much a nobody. Would it be the same when she finally grew up?

Aki hummed, oh how clueless his little sister could be. "Spoiled brat…" he muttered. Did she know how scared he had been knowing how close she came to facing death? "I felt alive today too. But for the worst kind of reasons compared to yourself. Realizing how easily you can lose everything in the blink of an eye. Only after having a brush with death do you realize, that just existing is great. And what is to come will eventually happen". He knew Aya was scared about the future and so was he, but simply taking your time and working to that point in your life was ok. Because you could enjoy the moment and thus treasure what was important to you.

Aya stared at her brother in awe, she had never really thought about it that way. Though she had been excited by the thrill of what had happened despite how odd it had been. She never thought how such an experience could affect her loved ones in the worst way. The thought of being seperated from her brother or parents scared her, it was not something she ever wanted to consider ever happening. How easily something you loved could be ripped from you all too soon.

Aki then ruffled her head affectionately to tease her, tonight was not for depressing thoughts, it was soon to be the eve of their birthday. "Besides, tomorrow is our 16th birthday. Cheer up grumpy pants. Hope you went all out on me" he teased playfully. Now was not the time to be a party pooper. They had a large celebration to look forward to, following the long journey to becoming adults. I mean soon they would be heading to high school.

Aya smiled warmly. Whenever she was down, confused or upset she could always rely on her twin to cheer her up and chase away her fears. She was glad to have a sibling who would always be on her side. She then slapped him around the back of her head with her pillow. "You bet I did Nii-chan" she laughed playfully. Did he really expect her to forget something so important? She then blinked, realising she had forgotten she was also holding one of her weights. _"Crap,"_ she thought internally. Now she had started another fight accidentally.

* * *

Aya gazed up at the old house in awe, she never really got used to how large her grandfather's home was. She knew he was well off, but then again she was raised middle class so she never knew how influential her family was. She gazed up the large pine tree in the garden that she used to climb as a child. How she used to get in trouble for causing problems for everyone. She had always been a problem child. "Oi Aki, brings back memories of good old times doesn't it" she called in amusement. They used to play here all the time as kids, but as they got older they saw their grandfather less and less due to school and studies.

"Stop messing around and hurry up already" Aki called. This was a big deal, they never usually got called to the main house so it had to be important. It would help if she took things more seriously. Their grandpa was old and frail, meaning he couldn't chase after them if they got into trouble anymore. It probably took a lot of energy for him to even walk nowadays. She could try being a little more considerate of this event.

Aya glared, he had been in a funny mood since yesterday and she had hoped they would have made up already. She never asked for that accident to happen and then hitting him in the head with a weight. How many more times did she have to apologize? _"Guess he's still sulking for me whacking him the other day. I bet he's punishing me by not getting me a birthday gift. After I put all this thought into buying him something nice" _she sulked internally. "Fine, be that way. But I get the biggest slice of cake and both our presents and birthday cash" she snapped. If he was going to be a jerk she would get her own back. Aki blinked in confusion, wondering what on earth she was going on about.

Eventually, their grandpa appeared to which Aya flung herself at him happily. Giving her grandpa affection, though annoyed she was happy to see her grandpa again. He was getting older and frailer, but it was nice to see he was doing so well. "Aya, Aki. It is good to see you both, you look well. Come, we have much to talk about. We can't leave the others waiting" he replied in a friendly tone with a warm smile. Today was a very important event.

Aki and Aya looked at each other in confusion, everyone? What were they talking about? Wasn't this a family event simply between the four of them? This situation was starting to feel a little odd. As they opened the doors of the grand dining room, they saw the room was filled with all of their relatives. Aunts, uncles, cousins etc. people they rarely if ever saw whatsoever. Was this a funeral or a birthday?

"Dad?" Aki asked looking to his father for answers. However, their father shrugged him off and told him to sit down and stop arguing. Worrying him at how stern his father was being with him. He then turned to Aya, leaning close to her so they could have a private conversation in whispers. "This feels odd, why are our relatives here? They've never given a crap about us until now" he muttered.

The twins sat at the table sitting around one another in silence. The tension in the air was heavy and uncomfortable, not knowing what to do. There was no food or drink to distract themselves. Simply sitting in silence with their family on their special day. Aya didn't know what to say, this felt more like a funeral wake than a birthday. This whole situation felt depressing and she wished more than anything she could be elsewhere. Did she give up celebrating with her friends for this?

"Aya, Aki. Happy 16th birthday, I have a gift to bestow on you both" the grandpa praised cheerfully. They were now at the age that they would be able to tell if the family curse had followed into their generation. A young man then entered, he had bright red hair and was wearing a bodyguard like attire. He was holding a box then placed it on the table in front of them before leaving the room.

Aya pulled the cloth from the box curiously, wondering what the hell was inside and what kind of gift this was. This was making no sense at all if this was some kind of bad joke this was not funny. Were they trying to scare them? Was this some kind of family heirloom that would be passed down to their children or something? She didn't understand what was going on at all, she felt so uneasy. Like something bad was going to happen.

Their grandpa kept staring at them with the same unwavering smile. Expecting them to inspect their supposed gift to reveal on their special day. His smile becoming eerie instead of pleasant. Their cousin Kagami kept staring, a stern but suspicious expression on his face as he watched the two teenagers. They really had no idea of what they were getting themselves into right now, did they? Their parents wouldn't even look at them.

Aya suddenly felt sick, a sense of uneasiness running through her body. This didn't feel right, everything in her body told her that she was in danger. Nausea starting to eat away at her, her stomach didn't feel right. Fear flowing from her in waves. A similar feeling to when she fell off the bridge, every fibre of her being telling her she had to run and never look back. That she was in danger, that she wasn't supposed to be here. Like when a prey was cornered by a predator that sought to kill it.

Aki saw her panic and opened the box slowly, seeing his sister wasn't as eager for their birthday gift as she previously had been. He panicked upon opening it, this was not the gift they had been expecting whatsoever. A look of mutual horror on their faces inside was a mummified hand. Was this some kind of joke on their grandpa's behalf? Why was he so calm about any of this? This wasn't funny whatsoever at all.

Aya backed off, fear and confusion filling her face. Conflict on her expression, her head began to once more fill with visions she could not describe. Grabbing her head to ease the pain that pulsed in her temple as the images flashed again and again. So much blood. Her body trembled, sweat dripping from her body. An aura of pure power radiating from her in waves, the tension in the air growing stronger by the second. Her family onlooking in pure shock.

A sudden shockwave blasted through the room, a surge of power flowing out of Aya in a blast. Her hair flying in the air like a wind passed through her abruptly. Her clothes torn in the blast, shredded into rags. Her eyes glowing purple with an unknown power, something awakening. Her grandpa and cousin staring in awe. The hand before her shattered into pieces, as if it were made of glass. The power then subsided as fast as it had appeared. Aya felt weakened like she had spaced out all of a sudden. What had just happened? What was that power? What had she just done? Where had it come from? She turned to her brother for comfort and answers "Aki… what?" she stammered.

Aki began to tremble, he was as scared as she was, wasn't he? This wasn't right, this wasn't funny anymore. Had they been drugged or something? How could they do this to them on their birthday of all things? Suddenly slashes appeared all over his body, blood gushing out of her brother. Screams of pain escaping Aki's lips, while all she could do was sit and watch this happen to her. What was this? Everything had been so normal yesterday, now this felt like a nightmare. Suddenly, Aki passed out, his body going limp like a rag doll.

Aya threw herself at her brother desperately, she could feel his pain. His body, the blood, how sore he felt. It felt like knives were stabbing at her skin "Aki, Aki answer me! Oh my god, so much blood! Grandpa! Do something!" she pleaded anxiously. She looked around the room anxiously for help "Mum? Dad? Anybody, please do something! Don't just sit there, you have to help him! My brother has been slashed to ribbons and all you can do is stare?! I won't let him die. I'm getting out of here!" She screamed angrily.

Their grandfather got to his feet slowly, another generation had awoken and they had to do what was right. He knew this would be hard for her parents but she was not a normal girl. She had never been human to begin with simply a vessel for power. "Aya, your brother will be fine. He will be given the utmost care and protection to see that he lives a long time. But I will ask you to remove yourself from his person, for you are the one who is going to die" he replied coldly.

Aya went rigid, her brain shutting down and her eyes wide like a deer in headlights. What had he just said to her? Die? She was going to die? Was this some kind of cult? Human sacrifice? How could her family say this to her? This was her birthday and yet, this felt like a nightmare. Her brother was in a life threatening situation. She nearly died yesterday and now her family wanted her dead. She had to wake up now, this was a really bad dream.

* * *

_Aya felt a forced smile appear on her face, this had to be a joke. What did they mean die? Today was her birthday, it was supposed to be a party, but this was starting to feel like the worst day ever. Was this because she had argued with her parents and acted selfishly? __She knew they had been upset because she was a troublemaker, because she never listened to their wishes, because she was rebellious and passionate. But if this was a punishment to make her behave, congrats she would listen._

_"Aya, the Mikage family faces disaster as long as you are alive" her grandpa warned. She was his flesh and blood and it was not her fault that she was born with the power. But for the sake of the family, she had to die or they would all pay dearly. They could not allow this generation to be destroyed because of the power she held. Every girl that carried her power had followed the same fate, giving up her life for the sake of their survival. _

_"Grandpa… you…" Aya mumbled quietly. She didn't know what to say, this was so cruel. What was he talking about? She started to laugh awkwardly, panic and fear shielded by humour. "That's enough geez, freaking me out like this. What is this a birthday prank? God, you really fooled us" she laughed nervously. __She peered at Aki despite the glares and looks she was getting from her family. He was still unconscious causing her to worry about his well being, what was going to happen to him? She reached out to touch him, he felt so cold and looked so pale._

_"Get your hands off of him!" her grandpa raged intently. Because of the blood she carried, she was dangerous. The wounds on his body were caused by her and god knows what she would do to the rest of them if she was allowed to live. The way she had destroyed their progenitor, nearly ripping him to pieces with her celestial power, what would she do to the rest of them when she got ahold of them? He dreaded to even think of it. _

_Aya froze, her eyes blank, her body stiff. He was serious about this, he wasn't kidding around. They really wanted to kill her, to end her life right here. But she was sixteen, she was a kid, her life had yet to begin. What the hell? Her life had been so normal, going to school, working hard and having fun. Now all of that was being ripped from under her feet and she could do nothing about it. _

_Kagami got to his feet, he knew what had to be done. He nodded at some family members to take Aki away and tend to his wounds. This could not be avoided and he had to follow the patriarchy orders no matter what his own opinions were. But he had to say, he was interested to see her power for himself. What capabilities this girl carried inside of herself, what she could do for the future of their family. _

_"Father please don't!" Aya's father begged. She was innocent, she was his child. He had watched her grow from a girl into a woman and now she was going to die. He couldn't ask him to just stand by and watch. Her mother by his side sobbing. __Aya stood in awe as they were led away, she felt so helpless. The fear and sadness in her parent's eyes, their panic and desperation told her this was all true. Now her fortune was coming to fruition, but this was not what she had wanted to know._

_"Aya run! Get out of here as fast as you can!" her mother begged. She couldn't help being born into this family, that she had been chosen as a host. She couldn't bear for her baby to die like this. That she couldn't even say goodbye or watch as her daughters life was stolen from her. How much she wanted to tell her instead of leaving her in the dark. _

_"Wait" Aya begged. Watching as the door closed behind them leaving her all alone in a house of killers. Her voice couldn't seem to work and her body felt heavy. The room was spinning as if she was drunk, yet she was fully awake. __Suddenly she lunged forward but was pulled and pinned back by two men in suits. They were really using all their strength, pinned like a dog in a cage. This wasn't funny, this was seriously sick. Taking her parents away like she was a pet about to be put down._

_"Fuck you guys! This is really sick, you think this is funny. I don't care if you are my family. I won't forgive you for this!" she yelled angrily. All she wanted was to celebrate her birthday, eat cake and have fun. But here she was being used as a sacrificial lamb. __She found herself pinned to the floor as hands wrapped around her neck. Cutting off her air, pressing harder and harder down until she felt her vision getting blurry. They were really going to do it. They weren't showing any remorse at all._

_"Aya, forgive us. We have our own loved ones to keep safe. In order for them to remain safe your life has to end. You had the short straw of being born into this bloodline" the guy apologized. She was so young and none of this was her fault. Aya gripped at his face weakly, fighting with all of her might. Digging in her nails until she drew blood. Refusing to allow him to kill her._

* * *

Suzumi flinched, she felt a wave of power flow through her like a wall. But this was not her own power, no. This was another of her kind awakening, yes another celestial maiden had been born into the world but she would not last long. She needed to be saved before she too was murdered. There had been too many deaths as it was in that family, she would not allow another innocent life to be stolen. Being a surviving descendant became awfully lonely when you watched all the others die before you could do anything. "Mrs Q, come here at once" she demanded desperately. They had no time to waste, they had to go and save this poor girl before her life was cut short. She wished she could go herself but she would only be endangered too.

If she was discovered for her powers, she would be hunted down too. She may not have been from their family, but she was of a strong bloodline of women. Though incapable of transformation she carried a strong amount of power. A force to be reckoned with, she was not one who wouldn't go down without a fight. So all she could do was pull the strings from the background and hope to help save those who carried her power and protected them from danger.

"Yes Madam" Mrs Q replied. Her lady sounded urgent, but what could be wrong. She had been perfectly calm until now but all of a sudden she sounded panicked about something. Knowing she was never one to make a fuss out of nothing at all. But she did wish she could tell her what was happening as to better understand. All she could do was understand and trust her instinct was correct.

"Where is Yuhi?" she asked impatiently. She knew this was a lot to ask, but he had to go on an important mission. This poor girl would need her help, otherwise, she would soon follow a long line of unfortunate women. This girl needed their help and there was not a minute to waste, her time was running out fast and they needed to do something.

"Um, Making dinner ma'am" Mrs Q explained. He was hard at work making a meal for them. He was such a good boy but she worried about his well being quite a lot. He needed to find a girlfriend. Suzumi got to her feet, of all times he had to be busy. Now was not the time to be worrying about such pointless things as food.

* * *

Yuhi hummed to himself. Tapping his feet as he catered to a meal for his beloved sister and himself. the kitchen was his sanctuary and a place he truly felt as his happiest, the music on his phone really helping to get him in a creative mood. He was so out of it that he never heard someone calling his name. Suddenly something hard hit him in the back of the head making him panic. Snapping out of his daze, a new pain throbbing in the back of his head.

"Thank god, I thought you would never snap out of it with that mind-numbing noise in your ears" she scolded. She knew Yuhi loved music but he was wasting precious time, who knew how long this poor girl had left. Dinner could wait and if he left it to simmer the taste would be even better. This girl would need a hot meal after everything. She would be under their protection for a while, given she had nowhere else to turn and nobody else to rely on.

He turned to glare at her furiously, was she in another of her bad moods again? Did she know how hard it was to get these ingredients after the incident he went through today? He made her damn meals and she nearly ruined it in the flash of an eye. "Damn it Suzumi, you could have spilt something! Do you wanna eat dinner or starve?!" Yuhi snapped. He worked his fingers to the bone in this kitchen and she nearly spilled everything because of her temper. He had been grilling seasoned meats, new flavours in the miso and such. He was working on experimental flavours here.

Suzumi sighed her expression stern, she knew he was upset but this was no time to argue. She needed to protect her kind with every fibre of her being, "Please Yuhi, I need you to go collect someone for me. This is a matter of urgency" she begged. Another life could not be lost because of the Mikage's. She was lost, alone, confused and soon her life would end. Her life had barely begun and yet she was going to lose it all too quickly before she could even understand a thing about herself at all.

Yuhi blinked, he knew Suzumi could play her pranks but he could tell she meant it. He could see the fear in her eyes and knew something was up. Guess dinner could wait for now "So, what is it a student or something?" he asked curiously removing his apron. He would need to at least know something about her before he went on this wild goose chase. Hell, where would he even find her? She wasn't giving him much to work with here.

Suzumi smiled, glad he was finally cooperating with her at last. "Not exactly" she explained. She would fill him in on the basics now but she promised she would tell him everything later on. There was so much he didn't understand and so many secrets he was going to learn, but that could wait for later. When they were altogether and somewhere safe.

* * *

_"Aya, get down from there, it's not safe" her mother called loudly. She was such a rebellious child always getting into trouble. The height was not safe and she could get hurt, however, she could not climb not allowing her to reach her baby. __Aki could only watch his sister climb higher helplessly. Grandpa would not be happy when he found out what he had been up to. The tree was a family heirloom that had been on the grounds for centuries. It was to be respected._

_"Look at me mummy," Aya said proudly. She had gotten so high all on her own, she wondered if she could reach the top. This was so exciting, she felt like she could touch the clouds. Suddenly she felt herself slip and panicked, missing a branch and nook for her feet. Suddenly finding herself falling faster and faster towards the ground causing her to panic. __Her father rushed to his feet and grabbed Aya in his hands, she could have really hurt herself. Though she was a child and soft-boned, the idea of her breaking any bones regardless, worried him. "Daddy," Aya said in relief. It was a good thing he caught her before she hurt herself. _

_"Gomen father" Aya's mother apologized. She was such an energetic child she never knew what to do with her. Trouble seemed to find her no matter how close an eye she kept on her daughter. God knows what she would be like when she got older, hopefully not as much trouble as she was now. _

_The grandfather approached, placing his hands on her shoulders kindly. They were the future of his family, but if the lineage continued into both of them he did not know. "Aya, Aki. This tree has belonged to this family for generations. You must not harm or hurt it harmlessly. Promise me" he asked wearily. It was a very important symbol of their clan._

* * *

Aya blinked wearily in confusion, her gaze was hazy, her head felt heavy, her body felt limp. When had she fallen asleep? Why was she so tired? What had happened before? One minute she was getting her gift then felt that power surge, then she saw those funny pictures in her head again, then Aki had been hurt and her grandpa threatened her. "What? What time is it? Where… grandpa, mum, dad, Aki?" she babbled sleepily. Had she fallen asleep? The last thing she remembered was arriving at the house and then being led away. She then saw the specks of blood on her body, then heavier in other places. The smell of metal in her nose. The scent was so strong she thought she was going to be sick. She felt like she was going to have panic attack, her chest felt tight, she felt sick. She couldn't remember a damn thing, she felt like she was going to hurl.

"Oh, there you are. I gotta say you put up a pretty good chase" a voice called up to her. She had some pretty strong powers. She really wasn't any normal girl, he had never seen anything like it. No wonder her family were out to get her. Truth be told he didn't really care all too much about her power or threat to her family, but he knew that it meant a lot to them. He would pay dearly if he didn't follow orders and at least pretend to do his job in some way.

Aya panicked, that voice was right below her. How did he find her and how long had he been standing there? Had he told anyone else about her whereabouts? I mean her whole family were out to kill her. She knew he was under the employment of her grandpa meaning he had orders to kill her or drag her back so they could kill her. Like hell she was going to let that happen, she didn't even understand what the hell was going on. She grabbed branches, yanking them off and throwing them at him angrily. _"Get away from me!" _she yelled fiercely. She didn't trust him as far as she could throw.

Touya blinked, leaning from side to side as he dodged the branches she was throwing. Though he admitted she certainly had attitude and energy, her choice of weapons would do no good at all. He then looked back up at her and sighed heavily "Looks like I found myself a wet cat in a bad mood" he replied bluntly. She really loved causing him trouble, didn't she?

Aya felt her cheeks darken with embarrassment and anger. Did he just compare her to a damn housepet? What the hell was with this guy? Why was he making fun of her? Did he know what the hell she had been through? It was the celebration of her birth and yet she was being hunted down with the intent of being murdered by her own family. "Just leave me alone" she snapped angrily.

Touya sighed, she really wasn't making this easy for him was she? She certainly had a stronger will than any of the others. Refusing to allow herself to be killed "Guess I'll come to you then" he replied casually. He had a job to do and though he had orders, really this had nothing to do with him. Honestly, it had been a long day, he was tired and he wanted dinner. But he knew she would die if he left her here alone.

Aya blinked, what did he mean to come to her? He was on the ground and she was halfway up the damn tree. What kind of nonsense was he spouting right now? This guy was odd. However, she was soon met with the face of the very guy she had just been insulted by. She backed away defiantly. Trying to get as far away from him as she possibly could, he was putting her up into a false sense of security. Trying to earn her trust so he could drag her back to her grandpa. She was already aware that she was on a hit list of her grandpa. She was willing to bite, claw, kick and fight with all of her might to get him away from her. She may not have had any weapons but she was not going to back down whatsoever.

Suddenly, he became worried and lunged at her in a minute. She tried to struggle but he grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back, covering her mouth with a glove. Stifling her mouth of any sound, a single breath. Rendering her helpless. She felt a chill run down her spine, was he going to kill her? Was he a hired assassin or something? She heard oncoming footsteps and her blood turned to ice, had he tricked her in order to hand her over to his associates. Was she really going to die? Cold, alone and afraid in the rain and the darkness. She then heard voices and saw Mikage agents running through the rain desperately.

"Find her, she can't have gone far"

"What if she is still in her celestial form"

"She may be powerful, but she has no idea of how to use it yet. She's a damn host, she has no meaning"

"She can't have gone far, using all that power is going to take a toll on her human body"

Aya stiffened, host? Celestial form? Human body? What the hell were they talking about? She was herself, Aya Mikage. She wasn't any celestial host, this was like a nightmare or some crappy drama series. Soon the voices quieted and the footsteps stopped meaning they had left. His grip on her body loosened, as he visibly relaxed. Aya took her chance and bit his hand as hard as she could causing him to hiss. Pushing him off of her with all the strength she could muster. "What the hell are you playing at buddy? My family are trying to kill me, hunting me down like a wounded dog, so what makes me think I'll trust you?" she growled. He was under her grandfather's employment, he worked directly under his orders.

Whatever he asked him to do, he did it without question. Was he trying to earn her trust to lower her guard which would end up with her being shot and left for dead in the rain? Unlike most damsels in distress which she refused to allow herself to become, she wasn't going to trust just about anyone who showed her kindness. She needed to protect herself and follow her gut instinct. She would get out of here and find her brother, or get herself somewhere safe until she figured out what the hell she was going to do next.

Touya's expression became serious, he knew about celestial maidens and her family's history. He followed orders but he had a moral code, even he could see how fucked up this was. "You're a kid, barely a second year in high school right? You're scared and confused, way too damn young to understand the severity of the shit you're in" he explained calmly. They were intent on killing her without hesitation, a wasted innocent life because cowards were too afraid to even consider if she could be controlled or repress her powers. He wasn't going to let her die because of a bunch of fear mongering morons who didn't even know the whole truth of their family history.

Aya's expression softened, genuinely touched by his words. Admittedly, she assumed he would be like the rest of the people employed by her family, killing her in a heartbeat without a second thought on the matter. He wasn't as bad as her family, he was risking his employment to save her life which meant a lot. Hell, he was the first person who had showed her any kindness today which meant a lot to her. But before she could even thank him a voice called out breaking the silence.

"Oi, blondie! You're Aya Mikage right?" a voice called up to her. He had to say he never thought he would be running into her again. She looked a total mess which only made him wonder what she had been through tonight. However, he wondered who the guy beside her was, he had to say he was annoyingly good looking. Given there were armed guards wandering the grounds they had best get the hell out of here before they got themselves in worse trouble. He didn't plan on dying here tonight.

Aya felt her cheeks darken, below her was the guy who had saved her from oncoming traffic. The cute high schooler who had shielded her when she fell from a bridge. She couldn't put into words how happy and yet stunned to see him again. Today really was a surprising one. But what if she ended up injuring herself if she fell from this height? She knew she had all this power inside of her, but she had no idea of how it worked. It seemed to just happen at random outbursts, like when she was in danger.

Yuhi saw her expression and smiled warmly. He knew she must have been shaken up and questioning a lot, but everything would be ok now. She was in safe hands and nobody was going to harm her. He held out his hands reassuringly "Don't worry, I'll catch you. But you better get a move on" he called. They had a small window to escape, the guards would be hunting her down like a fox to a rabbit. He was aware they were entering and trespassing right now, which was already another level of danger on top of their current risks.

Touya then abruptly shoved Aya, pushing her out of the tree entirely and towards the ground. She would be safe now and she seemed to know this guy. A boyfriend perhaps, but then again they seemed strangers, crushes most likely. Aya panicked, what the hell had that jerk pushed her for? If she didn't die from this height she would certainly be badly hurt. However, her body suddenly felt light, floating down to the ground as if by magic. This felt so weird, like something out of a dream. She landed in his arms gently, held as if she was a princess. Though she was rather embarrassed, on account of the fact she was very revealed due to her clothes being in rags.

"Not bad, cuter up close and light as a feather" Yuhi replied casually with a playful smile. She had bright blue eyes and orangey blonde hair, but she was cold as ice and covered in filth and blood. Aya felt her blush intense upon hearing these words, covering her front with her hands. He then dashed off carrying her, they had to get out of here fast. If they were found by the rest of the security they were screwed. Luckily he hadn't been caught yet but he doubted he could fight them all off. She was shaking like a leaf, from the cold and the shock.

Soon they reached a car, to which he pushed her inside lightly and climbed in himself. "Mrs Q punch it" he demanded desperately. They didn't have time to waste and he could see she was possibly hurt. That and with how heavy the rain was they were going to catch their cold. Aya shifted, curling up in her seat bashfully. Covering up her front as best she could, trying to warm herself up with her hands to circulate heat. She couldn't believe they had been reunited again. But why did it have to be when she looked her worst, after being chased down and dressed in rags? But more importantly, where was he taking her?


	2. C2: Celestial blood

**I'm back with an update and thank you to the few followers who enjoy this story. I appreciate you checking out this new story. So compared to the original I see Aya and Touya as real enemies or frenemies. I'll figure it out in later chapters**

**Please follow, favourite and review**

Aya sighed a breath of relief, she felt a little better now after consuming some much-needed food. She had been so shaken that she had forgotten about how hungry she was. Her dizziness must have also been a sign of hunger. I mean what happened with her grandpa and using those powers must have pushed her body quite a bit. She had no control of them and no idea of how they even worked, but she guessed whatever the cause was meant she blacked out whenever it emerged. Given tragic events tended to happen when she lost control, she had to prevent something bad happening like that again.

She didn't ask for this power, hell she didn't even want it, but she was stuck with it so she would have to accept it eventually. But there was just so much she had to get used to. This whole new power, life and identity that she had to adapt to, hell she would have to leave her old school too. There was no way she could allow her old friends to get involved with this. They would be in danger and that was something she would not allow to happen. She had to get through this on her own.

After having a decent meal, then taking a hot bath helped clear her mind. Given her previous clothes were now rags she was given some spare clothes by Suzumi, the poor girl would freeze to death otherwise. It's not like she had anywhere else to go. She didn't know what the hell was going on and what her grandpa was playing at. She hoped and prayed that this was just a really sick joke on his half and things would return to normal eventually. They were her family for crying out loud, the same people who loved and raised her. Hell, her grandpa used to give her warm smiles and tell her stories on his lap.

There was no way they could truly hate her, she was their kin, their blood. She was a loving granddaughter and sister, she was no heartless monster capable of killing. She could be a pain in the ass and a troublemaker but she had never hurt someone intentionally. How could they want to kill her because she was a danger to the family. It was so absurd, she just had to wake up tomorrow and find out that she was dreaming and actually asleep in her own bed. She hoped and prayed this was all fake and made up in her head.

The sliding door to her newly given room opened and Suzumi appeared. A warm smile on her face "Konbanwa, Aya. I hope Yuhi's cooking has helped to restore your strength" she asked empathetically. She had been through so much today, what a scary and strange 16th birthday this must have been for her. She had organised a small cake to be made by Yuhi so they could try to celebrate positively together. Though this was a truly frightening experience for the poor girl, it was still her birthday and she refused to allow it to be completely depressing for her. A birthday only came once a year and deserved to have some happy memories on the occasion.

Aya shifted shyly, she couldn't thank them enough for saving her and taking her in. She felt much better after having been able to relax a little. "Arigato, the food was delicious. Your brother is a really good cook" Aya praised gratefully. She hadn't realised her own appetite until now. They were not in any way obligated to take care of her like this. But she was so glad they found her and were protecting her. She never thought such a blessing could happen after everything, but she was so relieved it had.

Suzumi smiled and entered the room, closing the door behind her for privacy. They had a lot to talk about, it wasn't often to find such a powerful descendant in this decade. At least one who was able to survive the Mikage's given their pension for murdering them before their powers could fully awaken. She sat in front of Aya quietly, she knew this would not be easy for her to accept and adapt to. Being told you were descended from a heavenly being was not something every girl was told upon turning sixteen. But they needed each other, they were precious allies.

"As you are aware, you have powers that you cannot explain. Seeing things that haven't happened yet. Faces you cannot recognize, powers you cannot explain. All coming out of nowhere" Suzumi explained calmly. When the powers awakened in a descendant it was often like being hit by a wall, everything happening all at once. She remembered being sixteen and making things float. Then seeing her friends in danger and preventing bad things from happening to them. It wasn't till some time later she realised her celestial blood. So she could understand the confusion of Aya.

Aya shifted and nodded "I… when Yuhi found me… I… I was floating. I should have hit the ground and died but instead I was levitating… kinda. And then… all these images… of blood and symbols…" Aya babbled anxiously. What did they mean? What was happening to her? If Yuhi hadn't saved her she would have been turned into human roadkill. Thank god he had saved her like that, she couldn't be more grateful. But that didn't explain why she was experiencing all these strange new powers and abilities. But it seemed Suzumi had the answers to all her questions.

Suzumi gave her a sympathetic look, she was just as afraid when her own powers began to emerge. But she was safe here, she was among her own kind and she would be protected. She reached out to take Aya's hand and squeeze it in a comforting manner. "Aya, your family. The Mikage's, you are a descended of a very powerful entity known as a Tennyo or celestial maiden. The Mikage family sees you as a threat, this being inside of you is a danger to them. So long as you are alive they will not stop hunting you until you are dead. I know how frightening this sounds, but it is your reality now. You are by far the most powerful descendant of a said celestial being. But you are safe with us, we will protect you. This will be a home to you for as long as you wish" Suzumi consoled her.

She had never met a pure descendant of Ceres who held such power in her blood. Though she was a Tennyo the only genetic proof she carried alongside her powers was her signature black hair and brown eyes. Though most purebloods with stronger genes carried amber eyes when transforming. She didn't know how Aya had managed to survive being murdered, but she was luckier than she knew. Her previous descendants had not been as lucky as her, their powers had not been strong enough to allow them to fight back. She had to admit having another celestial around made her feel less lonely.

Aya felt like her head was spinning, celestial maiden? Like out of the story her grandpa told her? The maiden whose robes were stolen by a fisherman before she regained them and returned to her home? What happened to her to remain cursed to be reborn into teenage girls in her family? Hell, it was hard to believe a folklore fairy story ended up actually being real. How could her family do something so cruel to so many innocent girls? How had she not known? But then keeping it secret would prevent so many disturbing truths from being brought to light.

"However, you are protected. My family will keep you safe here, you have already met my little brother Yuhi. I hope you will adapt to becoming a new resident here, but don't be afraid to ask if you should need help" Suzumi reassured her. Aya's heart fluttered, feeling her stomach in knots and her cheeks heating up. She had nearly forgotten about that, everything had just happened so damn fast. God this was like a dream come true, what other girls dreamed of this scenario happening. The boy who had saved her from being killed in oncoming traffic was now going to be her roommate. She was going to be living in the same house as her crush, she couldn't believe this was actually happening. This whole situation felt like a plot out of a mushy romance movie or something. I mean aside from the horror of her family trying to kill her, this felt like a love story.

Suzumi saw the blush on Aya's cheeks and chuckled to herself, how sweet. She had sensed a familiarity between the two but had not connected until now. She knew Yuhi had mentioned an accident happening, but to have saved this girl's life twice was quite an accomplishment on his behalf. She had to admit he had rather good taste in women indeed. "I will leave you to take all this in. I apologize if this has frightened you in any way. I'll ask Yuhi to bring dinner to your room later. Please, take it easy and don't exert yourself. You are safe here". Suzumi then closed the door leaving her in peace.

* * *

Aya sighed heavily, collapsing on the futon wearily and feeling herself melting into the bed. Her exhaustion starting to get the better of her. Leaving her tray of food in the hall for Yuhi to find. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten so well. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten so well. She couldn't believe how yesterday her life was the same boring every day lark that every teenager lived. School, friends, karaoke bars and goofing around. Now she was being hunted down by her own family.

She missed her room, her music, her mother's home cooking and joking around like she usually did. All the lame normal stuff she once took for granted were now precious memories. How was she supposed to know her normal life would soon she stolen from her, being turned into nothing but memories. She wondered if Aki was alright, those wounds had been deep and he had been in so much pain. So much blood from the wounds, she was scared he might have died. He was so confused and what if he had woken up? He would be wondering what had happened to her. They were twins, they were connected. She missed him so much.

Her parents had been frantic, telling her to run away, escape and get away from them. But what conflicted her was that they knew about all of this. This family get together had been arranged for her 16th birthday years before, they knew about this fucked up ceremony and kept it from her. How sick was that? They were her parents and yet they had lied and kept this from her, how could they? She didn't know what to feel or what to think. Anger, sadness, betrayal, confusion, conflict, loneliness. There was so many feelings and thoughts rushing through her mind she felt sick. Most teenage girls her age didn't have to deal with any of this, she felt so alone.

When she came to after seeing that mummified hand her grandpa brought out, she felt strange power flow through her and blacked out for a second. She had no idea of where the blood came from when she came to after they tried to strangle her. She had no visible wounds on her body, she had lost track of all time before being attacked. She was so grateful to Suzumi for saving her life and taking her in, but she had to know the truth. She was descended from this Tennyo, but was she in control? She had to get to the bottom of this, her family had explaining to do.

* * *

_Dear Suzumi and Yuhi_

_I cannot thank you enough for all you have done for me, saving my life and telling me the truth. But I have to know what is going on, I cannot abandon my family. My brother needs me, my parents will be worried sick and they can tell me what is going on. They are all I have and I won't leave them._

_I have to figure things out by myself, I need to know where I stand and whether or not I can control this power. If there is any way I can make up with my family. __I feel like meeting Yuhi was fate, saving me from my boring teenage life and waking me from my daze. Bringing me into a dream I always longed for. I won't forget gazing into those dreamy blue orbs for the first time, like gazing into the abyss of the ocean._

_I will never forget meeting you, being saved by a charming stranger with the look of a boy idol. How you seduced my heart with a silent song, changing my life before I knew it. I won't forget what you have done for me._

_I hate to say goodbye after your kindness_

_Arigato, Aya_

* * *

Aya bowed her head as she continued on her journey through the rubble of her grandpa's house. It was such a wreck now, had she done all this? Caused all of the chaos in front of her? She would miss Yuhi's cooking, his charming smile and that warm house. He saved her life and she had only just learned his name. How safe and calm she felt when he ruffled her head and looking into his eyes made her heart skip a beat. She had never felt that way about any boy before. Now she knew why girls acted so weird when in love.

She felt like she could feel safe and live a normal life again in that home, forgetting her past and moving towards her future. But she couldn't abandon her brother, he meant the world to her. They were each others better half and her family may even brainwash him. She couldn't allow that to happen, not to him and not to her mother and father. They could run away to somewhere and live in peace, away from the main branch. Just as long as they were together.

She had managed to sneak back to the main house without being caught, god knows she looked suspicious. She had no idea if her family had even sent the police out to try and find her. But she had to investigate and find out what the hell was going on and what they had planned for her. What if they sent search parties out to look for her? She couldn't bear the thought of Suzumi and her family getting into danger because of her. If she could possibly protect them by leaving so be it. They had shown her kindness and now she was returning the gesture.

* * *

Suzumi smirked, trying to restrain the laughter trying to escape her lips. Comparing Yuhi to a teen idol in a boy band, his charming blue eyes. She had no idea Yuhi was so popular with girls, let alone the descendant of a Tennyo. Yuhi had always focused on his schoolwork, cooking and tended to keep to himself. But was generally sociable at school. However, never seemed to show any interest in women, despite having plenty of admirers. Now by chance, he had saved the life on an endangered girl who ended up being a celestial descendant. He had stolen her heart and earned her affections. That was quite an accomplishment for a seventeen-year-old boy.

She had leapt into his arms upon him coming to her rescue from her family. She had happily complimented his cooking and even got bashful at the very mention of him. Though she was bad at expressing her feelings towards him which were understandable, she had probably never been in love before. On top of that, romance was not the only thought in her head right now. She was in a complicated situation for someone her age.

Suzumi snorted, trying to stop herself from teasing Yuhi. He was so conflicted on how to feel which was normal, he was experiencing his first love. Feeling romantic love for the first time was a strange experience. "Well, Yuhi. It seems she is quite taken with you. Congratulations on bagging such a lovely girl. She's quite the sweetheart" Suzumi teased. She wondered if Yuhi's was Aya's first love too, how adorable. She would just have to make sure Mrs Q didn't get in the way too much.

Yuhi blushed, averting his gaze and huffing under his breath. Not looking either of them in the eye and staring out of the window. She sure was a strange girl, she was stubborn, awkward and yet she seemingly had a big heart. So why did she run away if she cared about them so much? It made no sense. "Aya, what the hell are you thinking?" He mumbled under his breath. Didn't Suzumi say she was welcome in their home now? That they had to rely on each other? Why would she run away so suddenly and try to figure this out on her own? What an idiot. She had better be safe when they found her.

* * *

Aya wandered through the halls of the house in silence, her blue eyes wide in disbelief. Had she done all this? The house was a wreck, the house looked abandoned. The roof was destroyed, water had pooled in and water-stained or soaked everything in sight. It was a battleground. How had this all happened and in such a short period of time, was she really responsible for this? None of this seemed real at all, like a really fucked up prank. God, had she hurt anyone? She had no idea of what her powers were even capable of.

She soon entered the dining room, the room was still dark, there were bloodstains everywhere and the water was dripping all around in pools. Aki and her parents were nowhere to be seen, probably hiding somewhere, away from her. She couldn't blame them if this was just a small extent of what her powers were capable of. These powers really were heavenly, the kind you expected of a merciless goddess. But what had happened to her aside from being murdered to make her so angry.

"So, you finally came home. You gave us quite the cat and mouse chase Aya, I'm glad you stopped causing us so much trouble and accepted your fate. Look around, this is the true extent of your power. You must allow your death, you have caused so much chaos already" her grandpa replied coldly. She had nearly killed her own twin brother and the progenitor of the Mikage plan. She had murdered or severely injured half of her other family members with her escape. She had caused them enough problems with her little disappearing act and now it had to all come to an end. The blood of innocent lives was on her hands.

It would have been so much easier to kill her once the token of the Tennyo remains had been tested on her. But she ran away and hid from them, but thankfully she returned so nobody else had to get involved. He knew that killing her sounded cruel but what that being had done to their family was worse than her fate. She could not be allowed to continue living, given the grudge this being had against their family bloodline. Her sacrifice would ensure the safety of their entire clan.

Aya stiffened, slowly turning to glare fiercely at her grandfather. Someone she once loved and admired was now someone she hated with a passion. She didn't understand her power, nor had she asked to be born with it. She never wanted to hurt anyone, nor had she meant to. This all started when he brought her that mummified hand. But he wasn't giving her a choice to say otherwise, he wanted her dead, end of story. The worst part was his apathy towards killing Aki's sister and his granddaughter.

"Do it now, it is your responsibility to fix this mess" her grandfather replied sternly in a calm tone. He knew this was a lot to ask of his son but it was for the sake of the entire family. Just by standing in this room alone she was a danger to them all. There was the rare case when girls didn't show the blood of the Tennyo and were allowed to live. However, this was not the case for all of the female members of the family and preventing their demise was necessary. Even if it was a precious sister, cousin, daughter, wife etc. They had to die.

Aya watched in horror as her father stepped forward holding a gun. He slowly raised the gun to aim it at her head. Was he serious? Her own grandfather was asking her father to shoot his own daughter like a dog?! "Dad?! What the hell? This is sick, this is so fucked up! Your my father you can't do this to me! I love you! I love you so much… Daddy, _please_!" she begged her voice starting to tremble as her eyes started to sting and water. Her eyes were welling up with tears, blinding her. She couldn't see the gun nor her father's face but she didn't care. God why was this happening, she felt sick inside. He couldn't possibly be ok with this, with ending her life in such a cruel way. He had to know what her grandpa was doing wasn't right.

Suddenly, her father clicked his teeth and turned the gun on his father with a bitter expression. Before she could speak, there was a gunshot and everything went silent. There was a ringing silence in Aya's ears, her mind going blank and time stood still. Her body did not seem her own, a sickening shakiness slowly ascending upon her body. Her father's head tilted roughly to the side as the bullet shot through his brain. His eyes darkening, the light slowly leaving them as his body fell heavily to the ground like a sack of rice. The loud thump as he hit the ground, blood pooling onto the floor.

"D… dad…" Aya mumbled shakily in a broken voice. She couldn't speak, she felt sick. Soon her sight was blinded by a blur of tears. Her cheeks soon soaked as a waterfall of tears cascaded down her cheeks. Soon finding herself screaming for her father as she fell to her knees and clutched him close to her chest. Just yesterday everything was normal and fine, but now her world was being torn apart piece by piece. "Dad! Daddy hold on it's going to be ok! I'll get an ambulance, you'll be ok!" Aya sobbed bitterly. How could they do this? How could they shoot him? This was her father, his son. Why would he kill him in cold blood like this? Like a dog. This was so sick, so disgustingly cruel. They shot her father because he couldn't bear to kill his daughter. He tried to protect her and ended up losing his life over it, his last act of kindness was as a loving father.

"You _monsters_! This is so sick! Why the hell would you shoot your _own family_?! What is wrong with you?!" Aya raged furiously. They would pay for this, there was no way she was going to let them get away with murdering her father. She could sneak him to a doctor, they could get out of here together and find Aki. He just had to hold on a little longer. She felt her father shift in her lap, she was so young and she grew up so well. He prayed that she would not follow this fate but he could not prevent it. But she had to live, she had to break the curse. This could not be allowed to continue any further.

"A… ya… you… must live. P… Protect Aki…. You need… to take care of each other. This family… break…. The curse… no more… bloodshed…" he mumbled weakly. They had to protect each other, they were all they had left now. Their toxic family tradition of murderous sacrifice needed to end. They had enough blood on their hands and Aya had to cause this change. It was just so sad that he could not see her achieve this, but perhaps they would see each other in heaven once this was all over.

"Daddy…" Aya whimpered weakly. She felt his body weaken then grow still in her hands. His heart stopped. She felt the life leave his body like a shockwave, feeling herself start to shake. He was gone, he was gone forever and it was her grandfather's fault. The one person whom believed her, that wasn't willing to kill her for her powers, who wanted her to live. He had been taken away.

* * *

_Aya's father ruffled Aya's hair and groaned heavily, what happened to her? She had such beautiful honey blonde hair, what was she thinking dying it such a bright blue? She would get herself into trouble at school "Aya, did you dye your hair?". What would their mother think of this? Hopefully it wasn't permanent and would wash out soon. She did tend to experience a lot of trends. _

_Aya pouted sulkily as her father chided her, she was a teenager now and she was allowed to express herself. She wasn't a little kid who had to listen to their rules anymore "Get off dad, everyone's doing it now". There were others with brighter hair than this, at least she didn't wear excessive make-up and fake tan, there were worse styles to use. _

"_Are those piercings? Aki you too?" Their father yelled, when did this start happening? He hoped they weren't getting into anything dodgy. They may have been growing up but he would never stop worrying about them, "What were you thinking?". He had a feeling they would get a call from their school about this soon enough. How would he explain this to his father? _

"_Get lost old man" Aki scoffed whistling to himself. It was his body and his business, so what if he was changing his appearance. He wasn't hurting anyone and they weren't kids anymore. He thought Aya suited her hair and he was even more popular with girls than before. _

* * *

"What a stupid fool. Willing to throw his life over away over a pathetic betrayal. I knew he could not be trusted" her grandpa scoffed in a weary huff. He had too close of a connection to Aya, he was too soft. He could not follow through to protect the family. At least now he couldn't get in the way and prevent Aya from awakening her powers.

Aya gritted her teeth, gripping her father's corpse close to her body. Her eyes filling with angry tears, rage flowing through her like water. Her grandfather was a psychopath, he didn't care what happened. He was willing to kill anyone, anybody who got in his way. Willing to do whatever it took to make sure she was destroyed. He just killed his own son in cold blood and didn't even bat an eyelid. "_You did this. You killed him, you tried to kill me. You don't love me, you have no heart. You should die, you should die. YOU SHOULD ALL DIE!" _Aya mentally screamed.

"_Let me be free, let me out. Release me, Aya" _a voice echoed in her mind. She had to take revenge on this family, that way they would both survive their wrath.

Aya closed her eyes, allowing tears to fall down her cheeks in silence. A bright light slowly ascending from her body until the room was filled with a bright glowing orb. Her power flowing from her like a mighty storm. She didn't care if anyone died, she didn't care who she hurt or what happened anymore. They weren't her family any more, she meant nothing to her. Which is why nothing she did mattered. They deserved this.

Her family were trying to kill her, they wanted to end her life and anyone who tried to help her. Her father was dead, her twin brother was now in hiding and being hidden from her. Her mother had no idea of what was happening to her. A swirl of energy flowed around her, sucking everything in like a black hole, destroying all around her. It would be better if this family disappeared, they had done enough harm and god knows what else they would be capable of.

* * *

Suzumi, Aya and Mrs Q continued their long route to find their missing companion impatiently. Not knowing if she was alive or dead given her fate to the family she was born into. If they didn't locate her soon there was no guarantee she would be alive for much longer. To prevent their power from awakening and being controlled, the Mikage's murdered the girls upon their 16th year when Ceres started to awaken within them. Preventing her from being released and being able to use her power against them.

Yuhi leaned against his seat, gripping his hands around his chest and staring out of the window. Jostling his leg on his knee impatiently, his eyes filled with concern. Why wasn't Mrs Q driving fast enough? Why hadn't they found Aya yet? She had run away in the middle of the night, she had gone out on her own and put herself in danger. He knew she was in a confused and frightened mindset but she was putting her life on the line. If he meant so much to her, why would she scare him like this?

Was this how she showed her past crushes she liked them, wrote them letters, vanished and sent them on a wild goose chase to find her? No wonder she was single. "What the hell was that idiot thinking? She could get herself killed going out alone at this time of night. Forget her family, what if some creep kidnapped her or something" Yuhi growled. Aside from her celestial power, she was still a girl, she was still vulnerable to other dangers. The thought of her coming to harm made his blood boil.

Suzumi smiled fondly. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear casually before placing her hands on her lap. To be so young and in love, she remembered when she met Kazuma for the first time. Love was truly a blessing, especially your first crush. But Yuhi was truly taken with Aya, acting like a lovesick fool, reckless and protective. There was a fortune known as the red string of fate, in which your future soulmate was connected to you by a red string connected to your pinkie. It was possible Yuhi saving Aya was proof of him meeting his fated lover. "I'm glad you are so happy Yuhi, but I do not wish for any nephews and nieces in the present future" Suzumi joked in amusement. She was not quite ready for any new residents in their home for the time being.

Should they wed in the possible future and have a child together, she too would carry celestial genes. However that would be far off in the future, they were still kids and had a lot of time to think about such things. However, she would happily encourage a relationship between the two for now, courtship was a natural process for people their age after all. Nature would soon take its course in time, there was no rush.

Yuhi blushed, nearly smacking his head on the window in shock. "W… what the hell are you on about Suzumi?" he blurted in embarrassment. He was still a second year in high school, he wasn't ready for a family yet, sure he was thinking about his future but not marriage just yet. Where was this random marriage stuff coming from? I mean he was attracted to Aya and he would very much like to date her, but that wasn't appropriate right now.

Suzumi then felt a shiver run through her body, a flash of images run through her mind. Blood, power, misery. Something was wrong with Aya and she knew it, she only hoped she was safe. Another tennyo life could not be lost. "Mrs Q, floor it. There isn't a moment to lose!" she demanded. They couldn't waste any more time, no matter if they broke the speed limit or caused a danger. Aya was in danger, she needed their help.

"Yes ma'am" Mrs Q replied firmly. She knew Aya had to be in danger, the poor girl needed their help and there wasn't a moment to lose.

* * *

Bits of debris, blood and water swirled around Aya like a tornado, her power filling the room like heavy smoke. Her entire figure glowing in purple light, her body now entirely made up of pure light. Staring into the sky, negating out the sounds of Kagami and her grandpa. Her heart was filled with rage and heartache, her father's blood still stained into her clothes. He was gone, she would never have him back, her family had been torn apart all because of this curse. It had only been 24 hours since her sixteenth birthday, a day supposed to be about celebration and joy had turned into the complete opposite. Her life had now been turned into a hellhole of death and chaos.

They tore apart her life, they awoke this power, they tried to kill her and killed people she loved. They didn't show any remorse to her fear, confusion and anger about how their actions affected her. So why not give them payback? They were the cause of her pain so why not make them suffer too? They obviously no longer loved her anymore. So why should she hold back on her powers? She didn't owe them any mercy whatsoever.

Suzumi and Yuhi broke into the house, following the bright light coming from the house. They believed it to be some kind of fire but never believed that Aya could be the source of the destruction. They simply stood in awe of the power of the Tennyo before them. "This is unreal. Her power is inhuman, she's a pureblood Tennyo" Suzumi yelled loudly. She had never felt anything like this, the air around her was like electric. Every cell in her body was tingling like fire. Her expression became saddened as her gaze fell upon the dead body near Aya. She could feel a great sadness flowing within Aya's power, her heart aching with despair. "She's heartbroken, her heart is filled with sorrow" Suzumi called.

Yuhi gripped his hands into balled fists, he couldn't leave her alone. They had met for a reason and Aya needed them now more than ever. She needed to come home where she was safe, she couldn't stay in this awful place. It was full of too much sadness and pain, she needed to return to the sunshine, where she could leave this all behind. He approached bravely, his body being pushed back against a wall of pure power. His chest felt like it was being squeezed, he could barely breathe. This was Aya's power? But he knew she was better than this, that she never wanted to hurt anyone.

He slowly reached out his hands to grab Aya, wrapping his arms around her body clinging to her for dear life. "Aya! It's ok now! You can stop this now, you have to stop! You've done enough. I know it hurts, I know your heart is hurting. But killing your grandpa, killing your family. It's not worth it, it's not worth becoming like them!" Yuhi screamed desperately. He knew they had taken everything precious from her,they had ruined her teenage life. They had killed her father and tried to kill her, but she was safe now. She was safe with them, they were part of her family now. She wasn't alone anymore.

Aya's power diminished, her power slowly weakening and the wind decreasing. Her body growing weak against his, snapping out of her rage. Tears still pouring down her cheeks, her blue eyes shining bright with fresh tears. Her body growing heavy as she passed out against his chest. That's right, Suzumi had said she could stay as long as she wanted to, did that mean forever? Did that mean by forgetting her old life, she could start a new one with them? Even if it meant forgetting Aki?

Yuhi instinctively held her closer, allowing her to fall against him. She felt so weak and frail, despite the innate power that she held inside of her. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying so much. Laying softly in his arms, instinctively drawn to his warmth. What had they done to her? How could they do this to her? They killed her father and ruined her life. Was it worth it to make sure she was a tennyo descendant? The emotional and psychological scars that would be left behind after this experience?

The grandfather caught his breath, her power had stopped? But how? He then looked up to see a stranger, a dark-haired young man holding Aya protectively in his arms. When had he sneaked in? How had he found this place? Who was he? "Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?" he snapped impatiently. Kagami stood protectively by the elderly man's side.

Yuhi slowly turned to face the old man, a piercingly cold glare shot at the old man. Like hell he would let them lay a hand on Aya, they had caused her enough grief. "I'm your granddaughter protector, seemingly the only person who gives a shit about her. Hell, I should kill ya where you stand for what you've put her through. But there has been enough death and Aya's suffered enough!" Yuhi snapped fiercely. Aya was cold. She was hungry, she was lost and she was now an orphan, given her family had pretty much disowned and abandoned her for her Tennyo heritage. So he would be her home to return to. She belonged at Aogiri house now.

Suzumi smiled proudly at her little brother, he had certainly come a long way. She knew that he and Aya were fated for each other. Truly now standing before her holding Aya, he radiated the aura of a young man. Yuhi walked out of the room slowly, carrying Aya in his arms protectively. She was still out of it, no doubt she would be unconscious for a couple of hours. She would need a good meal when she woke up again.

"Who was that boy? Have you seen him before? What about the women he is with?" The grandfather demanded impatiently. He was too weak to fight back but he wanted an answer. Touya watched from his hiding place patiently. Aya was certainly in good hands now and her power had been negated. That boy seemed to care a lot about Aya. He was glad she was safe, he only hoped she stayed away so he didn't have to carry out his orders.


End file.
